Metal culvert.



W. T. SHANNON.

METAL OULVERT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1912.

0'7 1 1 ()2, Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

TlbllT WILLIAM T. SHANNON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

METAL GULVER-T.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Aug. 26,1913.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No. 730,549.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVILLIAM T. SHAN- NON, acitizen of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati,county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Metal Culverts, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to conduits and has for an object to produce animproved metallic conduit, capable of being effectively em ployed as aculvert, and in which means are provided for preventing an unobstructedflow of water under the culvert and the consequent washing or wearingaway of the foundation or supporting earth below the culvert.

A further object is to produce a metal conduit section having asubstantially flat bottom plate and provided with improved means forstiffening the bottom plate.

These and other objects i attain by means of a metallic structureembodying the features herein described, and illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part of this application. i In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of two bottom plates, embodying myinvention, and it illustrates the relative positions they occupy in aculvert, and the means employed for securing them together. F 2 is atransverse sectional view along the line 22 of F 3 and illustrates aconduit embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a frag mental sectional viewalong the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a fragmental plan view of asheet metal blank which may be em ployed in forming. a bottom plate,embodying my invention, and illustrates a wedge shaped tongue, which ispreferably formed on the blank and is employed in the formation of astiffening, and water deflecting and flow obstructing flange.

My present invention is illustrated in connection with ametallic conduitwhich is formed in separate sections and in which each section consistsof a substantially flat bottom plate 5 and an arched cover plate (3, soarranged that the two parts of each section may be easily and quicklyassembled and. the separate sections may be easily and quickly securedtogether, without the necessity of employing rivets or other permanentfastening means.

Each plate 5 is formed from a sheet metal blank 7 such as is illustratedin Fig. i, and is provided along one end with a strengthening and flowobstructing and deflecting flange 8, which is formed by bending a tongue8, formed on one edge of the blank, downwardly to a positionsubstantially at a right angle to the flat portion of the blank. Thetongue 8' is preferably wedgeshaped, so that the lateral edges of theflange 8 are inclined outwardly from the top toward the bottom of theflange, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described.

Each bottom plate 5 is provided with longitudinally extending grooves 9,which are located along its lateral edges and are adapted to receive thelateral or straight edges of the curved cover plates 6. The cover plates6, as illustrated, are corrugated and consequently the grooves 9 areshown of suiiicient width to accommodate their corrugated edges. Thebottom plates, illustrated, are also provided with clown-turned flanges11, which are located along the lateral edges of the plate, as shown anddescribed in my Patent Number 1,040,442.

The inclined edges of the flange 8 of each plate engage, and to someextent support the ribs formed on the lower face of the plate by theformation of the grooves 9. To accomplish this it is necessary to bendthe flange 8 backwardly, so that it does not extend exactly at rightangles to the fiat portion of the plate and so that its inclined edgesare located back of the forward edges of the grooves 9. The inclinationof the flange, caused by bending it to the position described, isslight, and is somewhat exaggerated in Fig. 3, for purpose ofillustration. The formation of the flange S on each sheet metal platestifl'ens the plate, and by employing the construction above describedthe flange 8 also operates to stiifen or support the ribs, formed by theformation of the grooves 9. While such a construction is preferred, itis not absolutely essential, and the tongue 8 need not necessarily bewedgeshaped.

The flanges S are formed atone end only of the plates 5 andconsequently, in assembling the plates to form a conduit, the flangedend of each plate is overlap ed by the unflanged end of the nextadjacent plate. The flanged ends of the plates are prefer ably turnedtoward the uphill end of the conduit when it is to be employed as aculvert and the plates are so located, that the ribs on the bottom ofthe overlapping plates are forced into engagement with grooves 9 of theplates overlapped. lVith this construction each plate 5 is supportedalong its forward, or upper edge, by its flange 8 and along its loweredge by the flange 8 of the next adjacent plate. As illustrated, thelateral edges of each plate are supported by the ribs formed on theplate by the formation of the grooves 9, which extend clownwardly belowthe flat portion of the plate, about the same amount as the flange 8.Vith this arrangement the flat portions of the plates are located abovetheir supporting foundations or the supporting earth and the space belowthem, and between them and their support, is intersected at intervals bythe transversely extending flanges 8. It is well known that water willflow along the line of least resistance and that, where the bottomplates of culverts of the class illustrated are mounted immediately uponthe earth without the intervention of a rigid foundation, a stream ofwater is apt to be formed under the culvert, which, if it isunobstructed, will gradually undermine the culvert and eventually wreckit. The flanges 8 operate to obstruct and almost wholly prevent such aflow of water under the culvert or conduit and consequently prevent thefoundation of the culvert from being washed or worn away. By turning theplate so that the flanges 8 are located along their upper edges, thatis, toward the upper end of the culvert, the flanges will not onlyoperate to obstruct a flow of water under the culvert, but they willalso direct it into the culvert, through the crevices, or cracks,located between the overlapping plates. In addition to this the flanges8 and the grooves 9 will be forced into the supporting earth, when theplates 5 rest upon the earth, without the intervention of a rigidfoundation, and they will therefore operate to anchor each platesecurely in place and more effectively prevent the eating away of. theearth by a flow of water under the culvert.

After the bottom plates 5 are located in position, the cover plates 6are mounted on them by inserting their straight edges into the grooves9. The curved edges of the plates 6 preferably overlap, as illustratedin Fig. 3, and it is unnecessary to provide means for permanentlysecuring them together.

An advantage of the construction herein illustrated is that the culvertor conduit may be formed of galvanized or protected sheet metal in whicheach plate, or section, is conr pletely covered by the protective sheathor the galvanizing metal. Such a construction is impossible where theseparate sections mustbe riveted or otherwise permanently lockedtogether.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, Idesire to have it understood that various changes, modifications andsubstitutions may be made in the apparatus illustrated, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in theappended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. A conduit composed of sheet metal sections, each section consistingof a cover and a substantially flat sheet metal bottom plate, providedalong one end with an integrally formed, downwardly projecting, flange,and along its lateral edges with means for engaging the cover, saidbottom plates being so located with relation to each other that theunflanged end of each plate is supported by and overlaps the flanged endof the next adjacent plate.

2. In a conduit section, a substantially flat bottom plate havingsupporting ridges formed on its under side, and located along itslateral edges, and a downwardly projecting transversely extendingsupporting flange located flush with one end of the plate.

3. In a conduit section, a separately formed bottom plate formed ofsheet metal and having longitudinally extending sup porting ribs formedon its lower face, and extending along its lateral edges, and adownwardly projecting flange extending across one end of the plate andlocated between the ribs.

4:. A substantially flat bottom plate for conduits, comprising, a metalsheet bent to form longitudinally extending ribs on its under side and adownwardly projecting flange extending across one end thereof, the endsof said flange being in engagement with said ribs.

5. A conduit composed of sheet metal sections, each section consistingof an arched cover plate and a substantially flat bottom plate havinglongitudinally extending trough-shaped grooves formed near its lat eraledges, and a downwardly projecting,

transversely extending flange located at one end thereof, the unflangedend of each bottom plate in the conduit overlapping the flanged end ofthe next adjacent bottom plate, and the grooves of adjacent plates beingforced into engagement with each other, and the arched plates beingmounted on the bottom plates with their straight edges located in thegrooves.

6. A culvert composed of separate sections, each section consisting ofan arched sheet metal cover plate and a substantially flat sheet metalbottom plate, provided along one end with a downwardly project ingflange, and along its lateral edges with means for engaging the straightedges of a cover plate, said bottom plates being so located that theunflanged end of each plate is supported by, and overlaps the flangedend of the next adjacent plate and the arched plates being mounted onthe bottom plates.

7. A culvert composed of separate sections, each section consisting ofan arched sheet metal cover plate and a substantially fiat bottom platehaving a downwardly projecting flow obstructing flange formed along oneend thereof, said plates being so located that the flanged end of eachplate is turned toward the upper end of the culvert and is overlapped bythe unflanged end of an adjacent plate, and said arched cover platesbeing mounted on said bottom plates.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day ofNovem ber, 1912.

WILLIAM T. SHANNON.

l/Vitnesses:

E. WV. McCALLIs'rnR, W. THORNTON Boennr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

